FAQ

26.2 miles. The first guy to do it, in ancient Greece, died from the effort. Word is that he started out too fast.

2. Will any of the money you’re raising cover your expenses?

No, I’m covering all my expenses out of my own pocket. Or maybe out of my wife’s pocket if she’s not looking. But all donations go to researching ocular melanoma.

3. Who is Michael Kimball and why are you running in honor of him?

Michael Kimball was my brother-in-law. He died in April 2005 at the age of 52, the same age as I am today. He was a runner, father of five, and he lived with us in the weeks and days leading up to his death. He died as a result of ocular melanoma that had metastisized to other organs. There’s no joke to be made here.

4. What is ‘ocular melanoma’?

Many people have heard of melanoma, or skin cancer. Ocular melanoma is essentially ‘skin cancer of the eye’.

5. What’s the connection to Mass Eye and Ear?

Michael was treated at Mass Eye and Ear. I remember driving him down to Boston to go there. Doctors there attempted to save Michael by removing his left eye, which probably extended his life.

6. So what organization is getting the donations, and are they tax-deductible?

Mass Eye and Ear, which is a non-profit hospital. The fundraising I’m doing is in conjunction with their development department. Donations are tax-deductible. They go to the Foundation for Mass Eye and Ear.

7. Is that you in the picture above? And why are you running the opposite direction of everyone else?

Yes, that is me running in a race in March 2011. I have always found myself running against the crowd, which leads to lots of adventure but not many trophies at the end of a race. I’ll blame my parents for that trait, and they can blame their parents if they want.